Fixed

The road bike was getting too much time, I was spending too much time cleaning it every night. I decided that since we are in another wet cycle I would go for the fixy. No half of hour of washing the bike in the evening. I got on the fixy before it started raining but fully dressed for the weather; baggies, knees, rain jacket, warm gloves and a ziplock for the iPod. Good little group for tuesday worlds and good work in the rain. No concern for worn parts, just good cold/wet work, 50k worth. The ziplock worked out just fine, no crashing of the iPod, no water in the bag. I also managed not to crash. I love the rain.

Recovery

After a rough day sunday in the road race and then a rough trip home through multiple monsoons I was ready for a break. Monday lacked the full rest I needed but now I feel ok. This Sunday will be fun. Firecracker 50, 4 and a half hours of singletrack and stiff ups and down. I'm ready mentally but we'll see if the body is ready for a 50 mile epic race. That will require some pretty good recovery! Friends need help sometimes, cars breakdown, tow companies screw you, rides are needed, it's good to help out old friends with a ride out of a jam. Not a big deal but very appreciated. Ride in the rain today.

I rode some of the usual stuff today, maybe it's my new motivation to ride all bikes, but I just felt really comfortable. Riding in all conditions really helps the skills. I just watch and learn. New rain and good tire choice allowed me to use the whole 14 inches of singletrack. I had the drift nailed. It felt so cool going into corners and letting off the brakes and drifting through the apex, hooking up before going off trail. I love to ride bikes. Have a good night.

Alien

Listening to music piped into my place of work got me thinking, how can we be the only advanced life form in the universe. And I use advanced with an asterisk. Bush, bin Laden well, you get the picture, less advanced for sure. The song was Journey's rock classic "Wheel in the Sky." It made me think of a famous work of fiction that is cause for much carnage, The Bible, the story of Ezekiel, who "saw the wheel." Not being a biblical scholar with just sunday dogma pounded into my head as a kid I remember the more entertaining stories. We cannot be alone. Sleep well.

Visit

I went to that place yesterday. You know the one, where everything is labored and your body, well, your whole system is on the verge of shut down. I hadn't been there in a while, decided it was time to go back. Whether I was welcome there or not I'm still not sure. Though I hope to get back there sometime soon. I like going there, it's been an important place for me to go nearly my whole adult life, though I wasn't welcome there yesterday. I like the idea of seeing the old friends, seeing what it is that makes my head go. I like the subtle dulling, the intense focus the dulling brings about. It all fades into a blur outside that little scope, tunnel-vision. The thoughts fade into the blur and the scope narrows when it gets more intense, no room for error, no room for distraction. I like going there, it makes me feel good to be alive and dead when it's over. I just wasn't allowed in yesterday. When it was over I was crestfallen, I left before it was done, I could have stayed on the outside but if I can't be right in the middle (front) I don't really want to be there.

Hail hurts, a lot. I thought that by the time I got out yesterday I was going to stay pretty dry. Nope. It was good anyway, cleared the junk from sunday's Vail ride. Not too much junk in there. Sunday was amazing, great ride over the pass, still my most favorite ride of all. Not too far, about 130k.

Big

I just saw a guy with the biggest ears ever. They were odd, veiny sorts with big flat areas like those of some that were steamed flat. Sort of like Dumbo meets the drycleaners.

Lag

The fatigue and malaise I felt yesterday has evolved into a stiff little headache the lingers just above my sinus area. Last night as I put the bikes back together I was swearing the 400 pound gorilla that dented and did a great job scratching my downtube. Thinwall aluminum doesn't like sharp impacts from hub axles. Not good. Good sleep last night, Thursday night really kicked me to the curb, three hours sleep doesn't work. I'm getting it back slowly, no epic on Sunday. I planned on doing the CT to Denver but I'm too tired. Maybe a simple road ride to get in some miles.

Vultures

I saw a turkey vulture yesterday. We had stopped on our ride to fix something and when I heard the whoosh of his wings I looked up in the trees and there he was gliding through the air to a branch. Then I smelled it; rotting, pungent, acrid air wafting of the decomposing carcass of a deer. Yuck! He was having breakfast. Mmmmmmm rotting flesh! The trip in today was gorgeous, dark blue gunmetal skies over sharply defined peaks, I love the solstice! Rolling through the trails and town to work made me appreciate the decisions we make and the sacrifices we stomach.

Rainy Training Crit

It's weird to get to another part of the world and show up for their weeknight worlds. Tonight was a bit like a kermesse, pouring rain and crappy pavement. Riders all over the place, dogging it through the corners, a bit slippery. Bridging gaps to nowhere. Nobody really rode that much better than the other, I followed wheels and then turned on the gas near the end to close a gap and go. Good legs. No real red zone work just solid tempo. Fun stuff in the rain.